Machine-to-Machine (M2M) applications are automated applications which involve machines or devices communicating through a network without human intervention. Non-limiting example applications include: sales by machines, monitoring (metering, malfunction reporting, etc.), transportation (e.g., emergency calls, fleet management, theft tracking), health care, tracking and location of objects, people, animals, etc., smart energy, supply and provisioning, city automation, manufacturing, etc. The communicating devices can be used in different environments like meters, sensors, cars, cell towers, vending machines, etc. These devices may be spread out over a wide area and may communicate via multiple networks often including one or more radio networks such as cellular mobile networks.
Although cellular mobile networks can facilitate M2M communications, they are typically designed for Human-to-Human (H2H), Human-to-Machine (H2M), and Machine-to-Human (M2H) applications, which are different than M2M applications. Nevertheless, it is desirable for Mobile Network Operators (MNO) to be able to support M2M applications involving autonomous devices, which is why the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is working on specifications to standardize the deployment of M2M applications in 3GPP networks like UMTS and LTE. See, e.g., 3GPP TS 22.368. It is expected that M2M communications will involve a huge number of devices that generate a small amount of traffic, especially as compared to the amount of signaling involved in setting up a connection to communicate that small amount of traffic.
A significant problem that must be resolved is the congestion that may occur due to simultaneous signaling or data messages from a large number of machine type communication (MTC) devices that may overload or otherwise adversely affect the performance of the radio interface, radio networks, and/or core networks. That congestion may cause an overload in any of these areas and could undermine service for both MTC and non-MTC devices.